Solar Milestone Reached in CA; to Take Advantage, Grid Must Be Modernized

Solar Milestone Reached in CA; to Take Advantage, Grid Must Be Modernized

March 31, 2014 By Peter Miller

Peter Miller

Senior Scientist, Energy & Transportation Program,
NRDC

California can feel good about the fact that it has more than half of all the solar rooftops in America, but now there’s even more to celebrate – the 100,000th such installation and the commitment it signifies.

This milestone demonstrates the substantial opportunity we have to make use of this ample and clean energy source and the importance of this effort for all stakeholders to achieve California’s clean energy goals, which are among the most ambitious in the world.

Last week, I joined with Steve Malnight, vice president for customer energy solutions at PG&E, in writing an op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News laying out the enormous progress that’s occurring in solar in California and the way we see the future.

The high points:

We believe solar is a key part of California’s energy future.

Government, utilities, researchers, advocates and individuals can work together and avoid divisiveness to exploit this ample and clean energy source.

An infrastructure is needed to support a surge in clean energy innovations.

The electric transmission grid needs to be modernized.

Policies and planning are needed to maximize the value of the grid.

Clear regulations and stable policies at the state level help create an investment climate for a thriving green economy.

The California way

NRDC and PG&E often have different views on energy policy, but progress in the solar arena has brought us together as demand for solar grows.

In some states, thorny issues have pitted utilities against solar power companies and solar customers against non-solar. In California, we’re proud to do things differently. We’re committed to working with all stakeholders to strike a balance that enables us to succeed.

Malnight and I are convinced it’s possible to speed the deployment of solar power, energy efficiency, energy storage, electric vehicles, and other locally generated resources while improving the resiliency of the electric transmission grid and providing opportunities for all to enjoy the benefits of such technologies.

Grist for the grid

There are more than 2,000 new solar rooftops connected to PG&E’s grid every month – a testament to their growing popularity as prices fall. These panels send excess power onto the grid during sunlight hours and draw power from the grid at night.

But it’s not just about panels on rooftops.

Investments in solar power are increasing in many places including California. PG&E now has agreements to buy solar power from seven of the largest projects in the world. By 2020 almost 20 percent of the electricity PG&E’s customers use will come from solar sources. That is enough clean power from the sun to run more than 2 million homes.

Today’s electric grid – which was designed to receive and distribute power in old ways — needs to be modernized to accommodate solar and wind energy as well as innovative technologies like electric cars and power storage technologies.

The cost structure of the grid is also challenging. Allocating costs fairly among customers is essential to help maintain its financial integrity.

Our electricity grid, deemed “the greatest invention of the 20th century” is now in a new century, facing new demands of its balancing act of physics and governance. Its challenge is to be able to continue to regulate supply and demand instantaneously, providing a shared resource for the benefit of all.

California’s clean energy ambitions

The target for this aggressive campaign is for one-third of the state’s electricity sales to come from renewable sources like solar and wind by the end of this decade. Achieving this goal will require the production of enough clean electricity to power nearly 9 million homes.

Despite the naysayers, success in meeting the RPS is within reach – as long as we continue to support investment in renewable and low-carbon energy resources like PG&E has done with solar.

Peter Miller is a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) with over 25 years experience in energy and climate policy. His work is focused on California energy policy, AB32 implementation, GHG emissions accounting and offsets. He is currently a boardmember of the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) and has served on the California Board for Energy Efficiency and on both Independent Review Panels evaluating the Public Interest Energy Research program at the California Energy Commission. Mr. Miller has degrees from Dartmouth College and Reed College.